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Hillsborough budget chief says $60M needed to cover non-FEMA-backed hurricane cleanup costs

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Published  October 23, 2024 7:05am EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Debris pickup in Hillsborough County

On Wednesday, Hillsborough County commissioners will decide whether to transfer $60 million that’s already in the county’s budget and put it toward Hurricane Milton cleanup.

TAMPA, Fla. - On Wednesday morning, the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners will decide whether to transfer $60,000,000 from the county's budget and put the funds toward emergency cleanup efforts. 

The decision comes two weeks after Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County. 

The seven-member board needs a super-majority vote of at least five commissioners to approve the resolution, which would move the $60 million out of the county's Catastrophic Disaster Recovery Fund and into the county's Disaster Events Fund set aside for recovery efforts post-Milton. 

READ: Florida residents planning to sell homes, leave the state after hurricane season: 'We're done'

The move was recommended by Hillsborough County Management and Budget Director Kevin Brickey, who said the amendment is necessary to pay for removing debris and other costs associated with emergency protective measures. In his recommendation, he cautioned that some recovery costs may be ineligible for FEMA reimbursement because they do not meet certain FEMA requirements. 

File: Debris from Hurricanes Milton and Helene.

File: Debris from Hurricanes Milton and Helene. 

In the background section of the recommendation, staff wrote:

"In response to a threat posed by Hurricane Milton, The Governor of the State of Florida on October 5, 2024, issued Executive Order (EO) 24-214, declaring that a state of emergency exists for the Florida Gulf Coast communities, including Hillsborough County. The County Administrator issued an Executive Order for Hillsborough County declaring a State of Local Emergency on October 6, 2024. Hillsborough County received a pre-storm Federal Emergency Declaration on October 7, 2024, which made it eligible for reimbursement of expenditures related to emergency protective measures. Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 on October 9, 2024, near Siesta Key in Sarasota County. Hillsborough County received a Federal Disaster Declaration on October 11, 2024, which made it eligible for reimbursement of expenditures related to debris removal and emergency protective measures."

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The county anticipates that FEMA will reimburse 100 percent of the costs of removing of removing debris and emergency protective measures for a 90-day period within the 120 days after Milton made landfall.

Crews work to remove hurricane debris.

Crews work to remove hurricane debris.

Once that time is up, the reimbursement rate drops to less than 90 percent. 

Brickey said the $60,000,000 estimate could increase as events develop, and that his office may need to bring another budget amendment before the board of commissioners if disaster recovery efforts cost more than initially estimated. 

The board will vote on the resolution during their regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. Watch it here. 

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